Hot Take: No, We Don’t Need Another ‘Bullitt’ Movie

By John Coyle - March 11, 2022

While the Bullitt Mustangs are awesome, the movie they’re based on sucks, and the car chase is no longer novel.

This week, it was widely reported that Steven Spielberg will direct a new Bullitt movie, which will follow the titular detective as he works a new case. And while the man behind cinematic gems like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, and E.T. the Extra Terrestrial surely knows how to make a great flick? The choice to revive Frank Bullitt — more than half a century after his sole big screen appearance — seems a curious one. Because aside from the car chase? Bullitt is a pretty crappy movie, about a lazy, inept detective. So why exactly do we need to see more of this clown?

For the record, I’m all for Ford milking the connection to the swing ’60s flick, as I’ve driven a couple flavors of the Bullitt Mustang, and they were both fantastic. The black wheels and the Dark Highland Green paint look wicked together, and the power bump, active exhaust, and Performance Pack goodies made them even more engaging to drive than the standard GT. In my opinion, the worst part about the Bullitt Mustang is actually the cheesy Bullitt badging. If I could have my way, it’d be deleted along with the galloping horse in the grille and rear spoiler.

Now, if you’ve never seen anything but the car chase, here’s a little recap of Bullitt. After our hero — played by Steve McQueen — is assigned to protect a high-profile witness, he promptly drops them at a seedy motel and leaves. In a movie with a decent script, the reason for his departure would be urgent police business. But Bullitt isn’t a movie with any kind of coherence at its core, so that’s not the case here. Old Frank just leaves because he wants to see a lady friend. And guess what? While he’s spending quality time getting horizontal, the witness gets all kinds of dead. You know, because his protection detail had better things to do than his one job.

At no point in the movie is there any blowback from this dereliction of duty, because Bullitt is too cool for rules, and being accountable for anything would make sense. And again, Bullitt is a movie that does not make sense. Anyone over the age of four is going to have logical issues with it, if they even get far enough into the plodding, clumsy exposition to ascertain the plot. Even at the time, the only thing this movie had going for it was an innovative car chase, and since movies like the Bourne Identity and Ronin have already provided audiences with peak car chase? It’s probably best to let Bullitt fade into obscurity. Seriously, every sequence that doesn’t involve Steve McQueen chasing a Dodge Charger through the street of San Francisco is a complete waste of time.

Photos: Ford